uth; and what they gathered from what I
had said, satisfied them that they were in no immediate danger.
Nevertheless, the master walked the deck as if he was stupefied with the
impending crisis. No wonder, poor fellow; with a wife and family
depending upon him for support, it is not to be expected that a man can
look upon immediate dissolution without painful feelings. A sailor
should never marry: or if he does, for the benefit of the service, his
marriage should prove an unhappy one, and then he would become more
reckless than before. As for my own thoughts, they may be given in a
few words--they were upon the vanity of human wishes. Whatever I had
done with the one object I had in view--whatever might have been my
success had I lived--whether I might have been wedded to Minnie some
future day, or what may have resulted, good, bad, or indifferent, as to
future, all was to be, in a few hours, cut short by the will of Heaven.
In the next world there was neither marriage nor giving in marriage--in
the next world, name, titles, wealth, everything worldly was as nought--
and all I had to do was to die like a man, and do my duty to the last,
trusting to a merciful God to forgive me my sins and offences; and with
this philosophy I stood prepared for the event.

About noon it again cleared up to leeward, but the Dryad was no longer
to be seen: this was reported to me. As it was nearly three hours since
we last had a sight of her, I knew her fate too well--she had plenty of
time to go on shore, and to be broken up by the heavy seas. I did
however point my glass in the direction, and coolly observed, "she has
rounded the tail of the bank, I presume, and has bore up. It was the
best thing she could do." I then asked the master if he had wound his
chronometers, and went down into the cabin. I had not, however, been
examining the chart more than a minute, when the officer of the watch
came down, and reported that we had shoaled to twelve fathoms.

"Very good, Mr Hawkins; we shall be in shallower water yet. Let me
know if there is any change in the soundings."

As soon as the cabin door was again shut, I worked up the tide to see
when it would change against us; I found that it had changed one hour at
least. Then it will be sooner over, thought I, throwing down the
pencil.

"Mr Cross, the boatswain, wishes to speak to you, sir," said the
sentry, opening the cabin door.

"Tell him to come in," replied I. "Well, Cross